


For You, I'd Betray the World

by Rainieva



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: (Tiny but I'll tag it anyway), Alternate Universe - No Personas (Persona Series), Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst with a Happy Ending, Author Tries Not to Spoil Anything in the Tags, Biting, Blood, Blood Drinking, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Canon-Typical Behavior, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Study, Don't Worry Akira is there to take care of the Sunshine Boi, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Half-Vampires, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Kamoshida is an asshole, Let Sakamoto Ryuji Say Fuck, Love Confessions, M/M, Mentioned Vomitting, Mild Angst, Mild Blood, Mild Gore, Mild Language, Mind the Tags, Minor Character Death, Sakamoto Ryuji Needs a Hug, Self-Indulgent, So is Ryuj's Dad, Vampires, canon-typical abuse, not the boys (i promise)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:35:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26823763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainieva/pseuds/Rainieva
Summary: It had been easy enough to hide in the beginning. But then, they started asking questions. Akira Kurusu just moved to the city about a week ago. Not that he didn’t like his hometown. It was a quiet suburb just outside any major cities, more or less secluded from large bustling crowds. In other words, perfect for him - or perfect for his situation. You see, he is a vampire.~~~Or, Akira is a vampire and he tries to hide it from Ryuji.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Sakamoto Ryuji, Kurusu Akira/Sakamoto Ryuji, Persona 5 Protagonist/Sakamoto Ryuji
Comments: 9
Kudos: 110





	1. Don't Fall in Love

**Author's Note:**

> Did anyone ask for a AkiRyu vampire AU? No. Am I doing it anyway? Yep.
> 
> So, This was just going to be a good 'ol one-shot but then it just... kept going? How is it that I try to just write a quick little AU but it turns into a six chapter character study? Anyway, most of this is finished but I was taking too long to figure out one of the last chapter So I figured I'd start posting the first few just to see if anyone was even remotely interested in this thing lol. 
> 
> Either way, please enjoy!

It had been easy enough to hide in the beginning. But then, they started asking questions. Akira Kurusu just moved to the city about a week ago. Not that he didn’t like his hometown. It was a quiet suburb just outside any major cities, more or less secluded from large bustling crowds. In other words, perfect for him - or perfect for his situation. You see, he is a vampire.

Living the quiet life as an unsuspecting teen was going perfectly before a woman thought he saw him drinking blood. In his defense, it was in a thermos, so her claim was really based on the fact that she probably saw his fangs or something. It wasn’t like the police could really do anything about it. Who would believe vampires existed? Still, rumors spread fast and living there wasn’t so quiet anymore.

Akira checked the address on his phone. The pharmacy wasn’t too far from the station, so he decided to walk the rest of the way. The building was two stories and white with a sign out front, altogether normal. He stepped inside, walking up to the counter where a woman sat. She wore a lab coat and her black hair was secured in a loose bun on top of her head. “How can I help you?” She asked, looking at him over a pair of thin, wire framed glasses.

“I’m just here to pick up a prescription.” He answered, handing over a signed paper. The woman looked it over before redirecting her gaze back to him. “I’m sorry, we don’t fill prescriptions for blood transfusion.”

Akira’s heart dropped. He had half expected this. He was hoping that the city pharmacies would have it stocked but he wasn’t surprised. He had to have the prescription delivered to him from a big name hospital outside his hometown, after all. His parents paid to have him diagnosed with some rare disease that requires regular blood transfusions, so that he had a steady supply of human blood to sustain a healthy life. He had always wanted to switch to animal blood however, it wasn’t satisfying or tasted very good.

“Alright, thank you for your time.” He smiled, politely before turning to leave. He walked back to the train station, deep in thought. Possibly he could get the address changed and have the prescription sent to his new residence. Akira sighed to himself. Not with his new guardian hanging around. A box of blood bags being delivered to his door would definitely raise some questions, questions lead to lying and that would only get him caught. The less they knew, the better.

~~~

Akira opened the old cafe door to find the aforementioned guardian standing behind the counter, wiping it down with a cloth. Noticing his return, the older man straightened and mumbled a greeting. While having been the ones to set up his living situation, Akira’s parents weren't the typically loving type. As soon as his mother heard the rumors, she had already bought his one-way ticket to the city. It was quite obvious that they were just itching to get rid of him with how unconcerned they were about the details of his transfer. 

His father was an idiot with a temper but, in the most basic sense of the word, human. His mother was the vampire. She was always away on trips, probably cheating on his father; not that he wasn’t cheating as well. Akira guessed this technically only made him half vampire. It didn’t change the fact he needed human blood to survive, so he never cared to make the distinction. In the first few days of meeting the cafe manager, he made a subtle effort to see if he knew anything about his inhuman lineage. He, thankfully, seemed clueless.

Akira gave a small nod as a reply before heading up the stairs to sleep for the night. The attic bedroom was invitingly quiet and less dusty since cleaning and getting unpacked. He didn’t bring much with him other than his clothes. He remembered his mother saying that the older she got, the less attached to things she became. Perhaps that’s why leaving was always so easy for her, not that he holds a grudge at all. Akira settled down on the mattress for the night, letting his eyes close and drift off.

~~~

The next morning was Monday, which meant school. Possibly the worst part of being a vampire is the sheer number of years he has spent in high school alone. He went about his morning getting ready before heading downstairs to the smell of warm curry and coffee. A smile pulled at the corner of his lips as he adjusted the bag on his shoulder and took a seat at the bar. Sojiro Sakura slid a plate forward and began pouring a cup of coffee. “How have you been adjusting? To your school and the city, I mean.” He asked, placing the coffee in front of the seemingly teenage boy.

“Well enough.” He shrugged, dismissively. It wasn’t entirely a lie. He transferred to Shujin Academy early into the year earning him quite a few nonsensical rumors. One said that he was an ex-yakuza member, trying to fly under the radar - or perhaps even stranger - one suggested he was actually French nobility hiding from assassins. Part of him wanted to use the limited French he did know to spur the ridiculous stories on just to see how far it would go. Still, he knew better than to bring unnecessary attention to himself. The other students choose to keep their distance and Akira was just fine with that. It was probably safer, anyway.

“Hey, will you flip the sign for me as you leave?” Sojiro asked as Akira stood to leave. 

“Sure thing.” He answered, leaving for school. 

The walk to the station was not as peaceful as his early morning walks to school used to be. He would leave just before the sun rose and watch the light bathe the landscape as he walked. It was early spring, so cherry blossom petals lay scattered across the pavement and floating in puddles. Suddenly, he could hear the faint sound of thundering footsteps drawing closer. A boy in the same uniform as him ran past, his hair bleached blond catching Akira’s attention. He fished out his cellphone to check the time. It wasn’t quite the point of no return, so his fellow student’s rush to school seemed unwarranted. Nevertheless, Akira dismissed it and continued to school.

~~~

The morning was uneventful to say the least. Akira mostly tuned out the tired lectures he could probably memorize. It didn’t matter where he went or how many years passed, high school didn't change. The teachers recited lesson plans like robots and the students either worked themselves so hard they fizzled out or they gave up, resigning to their fate in this world. Akira simply went through the motions and opened his shoe locker only for something to fall out. Perplexed, he knelt down and picked it up. It was a folded sheet of paper with, ‘meet me behind the school at lunch’ written out in clear writing. Possibly the last thing he wanted to do this lunch period, Akia sighed, shoving the paper in his pocket before going to meet whoever it was.

Akira turned the corner around the back of the practice building to see a girl with long brown hair leaning against the wall. When she saw him, she noticeably tensed before standing up straight and walking forward a bit. Her eyes were downcast and her fingers fidgeted with the fabric of her skirt. Akira could feel the dread rising in his gut. He didn’t recognize her as being a part of his class but does remember seeing her around the school. She was most likely another second-year.

“I- um, know you don’t know me but--” She paused, chewing on her bottom lip. “But I know you! I know everything about you! You’re so mysterious but I--” Akira lunged forward, putting a hand up and slamming it into the wall beside her head. The girl’s eyes were wide with surprise or more possibly fear.

“Everything, huh? And just what is it that you know about me?” His voice low, meant to intimidate her. Whichever rumor she did or did not believe to be true, she looked terrified.

The sound of movement coming from a few feet to their right pulled both of their attentions. Akira turned to see a familiar blond boy stood watching them like a deer in headlights. He wore the school’s uniform pants and blazer over a graphic t-shirt. The cuffs of his pants were rolled up and the suspenders hung loosely at his hips. He recognized the boy as a second year from another class as well as from his walk to school this morning. The unnatural blond was easy to spot in a crowd, making his dark eyes appear quite striking. 

The three of them stared in silence for a moment before the girl beneath him darted in the blond’s direction. She covered her face with her hands as she rushed by him and around the corner, clearly embarrassed by the situation. Akira sighed, letting his arm fall back to his side.

“Sorry, I uh- didn’t mean to… interrupt anythin’.” The blond stutters out, rubbing the back of his neck.

“It’s better that you did. I was trying to scare her off, anyway.” Akira stuck his hands into his pockets, approaching the other boy. 

“What do ya mean?” He asked. 

“It’s to keep other girls from confessing.” Akira explained, flatly.

The blond furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “You tryin’ to fight me for the worst rep in the school?”

“Maybe. What have you heard?” Akira chuckled. “Lots of stuff, like, you’re some escaped convict or somethin’.” The other boy shrugged. This pulled a genuine laugh from him. Of all the rumors, a convict was what this boy found the strangest?

“Seriously, what’s your deal?” The blond questioned, eyebrows knitted in confusion. 

Akira humed in response, continuing to walk past the boy who closely followed. “The real story is nothing interesting. What did you do to have the ‘worst rep in the school’?” He evaded with practiced ease.

“No way I’m talkin’ just like that. Your tellin’ me your story whether it's borin’ or not!” The blond threw back.

Akira let a small smile grace his lips. Something about this boy put him at ease. His direct nature was refreshing and he didn’t have the same rose colored glasses the rest of society seemed clouded by. He turned to face the other student, a sly grin on his face. “Then, dinner’s on you.” 

The blond starred back, dumbfounded. “What?!”

~~~

The small beef bowl shop on Central Street was more spacious on the inside than Akira had expected. He took a seat next to the blond on the slightly uncomfortable stool at the counter. The employees behind the counter worked tirelessly, serving the worn businessmen and other patrons. He glanced at the menu, the large pictures of the food making his stomach churn. If there was anything he hated about being a vampire, it was his inability to eat ‘human’ food. While most drinks are fine, solid food or animal products refused to agree with the stomach of a vampire. Meat, bread, soup, even milk could make it’s way back up. Still, he got very good at hiding the nauseating symptoms until he was safe to expel it in the nearest bathroom.

“What are ya’ ordering?” The other teen asked, pulling Akira from his thoughts of dread. 

“Small beef bowl is fine.” He answered, receiving a strange look from the blond. He seemed to quickly dismiss whatever it was before speaking up again. 

“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself. Sorry, I’m Ryuji Sakamoto.”

“Akira Kurusu.” He replied with a smile. The server returned with their orders - Ryuji’s noticeably larger than Akira’s - placing them in front of the boys, respectively. Ryuji began shovelling the contents into his mouth, looking to be enjoying it. This was the place he chose after all. Akira found himself wondering if the blonde came here often to eat after school.

"So, how'd ya get all those crazy rumors?" He mumbled through his food. 

Akira found himself shrugging, as if that was an adequate answer. "Can't say I know. My parents travel for work so I'm staying with one of their friends." He continued, eyes on the bowl of food in front of him.

Akira was almost ashamed to admit how good he had become at giving half truths and even lying through his teeth when necessary. He simply told himself it was better they didn't know. It was simpler this way.

"For real? That's it?"

"I told you it wasn't nearly as interesting as everyone made it out to be." He chided, taking a bite of his order. The taste was strong and salty but not awful. The texture made him wince a bit but he hid it well, swallowing the bite. "I told you mine. So, what makes you the top misfit at Shujin?"

Ryuji looked away, back down at his food. "Nothing really. I just did some stupid shit and almost got expelled."

"Rough. You can't expect me to be satisfied with that. What happened?" Akira pressed, curiosity taking over.

Ryuji sighed as if debating whether or not digging up the memories were worth it. "I used to be on the track team but when the P.E teacher started taking over practice… he would make us train for hours without breaks and hit us when we did something wrong. One time, he said something and I got so pissed off that I tried to hit him. The school took that asshole's side and I've been the delinquent ever since."

As he finished talking, he shoved more food in his mouth, the memories affecting him a bit. It sounded like there was still more to the story but Akira decided not to push his luck. Something about this boy intrigued him. Despite his overall brash attitude, Ryuji was a bright, carefree kind of guy. Akira liked that about him.

“Hey, why aren't you eatin’?” Ryuji questioned as he seemed to finish his own. 

As if to dispel the other teen's worries, Akira forced another mouthful down his throat. "I had a big lunch." He lied. The first of many, he supposed.

His answer seemed to satisfy the blond as he dug his phone out from his pocket. “Shit. My mom’s gonna be home soon. Here, give me your number and chat ID.”

Akira looked at him blankly for a moment before retrieving his own phone and handing it over. He couldn’t remember the last time he gave someone his phone number. He could practically hear his mother’s voice echoing all of her words of caution in his head. Still, Ryuji’s bright smile drowned out the voice as he handed the phone back.

“Thanks! I think we’ll get along just fine as ‘troublemakers’!” He smiled widely causing Akira to chuckle to himself a bit. His mother didn’t give him advice often but one always stuck with him.

“Don’t make friends or fall in love.” 

He didn’t listen.


	2. Only

Akira’s phone chimed insistently from the recesses of his sweatpants pocket. He blinked awake, frowning and checking the time once he retrieved the device.

11:42. His messages are open and a certain blond has spammed a few in quick succession. Since giving his chat ID to the teen, he had texted him late into the night multiple times. The only times Akira really minded was when he woke up simply due to the teen’s boredom and pension for staying up late gaming. Nevertheless, he always responded within a few minutes.

> Damn, I’m outta shape. I used to to run for fuck’s sake!

> I need to hit the gym again. You should totally come!

> I think I know a place in Shibuya. ‘Sides, I wouldn’t be able to slack off if you were watching.

Akira smiled, the idea that Ryuji would half-ass anything was a foriegn one. Even though it had only been a few weeks since they started hanging out, Akira has never seen him quit or give up once he set his mind to something. It didn't matter if it was the smallest thing in the world, Ryuji always gave it his best. Maybe that’s why his story about being on the track team seemed a little off. Of course, Akira has told his fair share of half truths and could practically smell one a mile away. He knows that what you don’t say can be the most important. When Ryuji recalled his time on the track team, he looked sad and frustrated. What did that teacher say to make Ryuji snap? Prying further would only make Akira feel like a hypocrite, so he kept his questions to himself.

> Sounds good.

~~~

The next Saturday, after school, the two ‘troublemakers’ made their way to Central Street and down an alley. An unlit sign read ‘Protein Lovers’ with a muscular silhouette posing. Ryuji pushed open the door, Akira following closely. The inside smelled strongly of sweat and disinfectant. One of the walls was lined with mirrors and gently used equipment lay scattered about the room. Akira willed himself to breathe shallowly as the smell brought on a bit of a headache. Fortunately, he has been able to control his heightened vampiric senses in the past. However, he has found exceptionally foul smells to be rather difficult to disguise. 

“This place is great ‘cause there isn’t any monthly charge or anythin’. You bring a change of clothes?” Ryuji asked. “You okay, dude?”

“Oh, yeah. Just a headache.” He lied, shrugging off whatever look it was that gave him away before heading toward the treadmills.

“You sure you're alright to workout, today? You can take it easy. This is just for me, y’know.” 

Akira chuckled, throwing the other teen a challenging glance. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Ryuji stared in shock for a short moment before grinning back and taking a spot on the treadmill next to Akira. They started jogging at a decent pace before Akira turned up the speed on his own treadmill. Ryuji looked over at him only to see his smug profile, now running like he was just on a morning stroll. Unwilling to lose so easily, he turns up the speed on his machine to match the other boy. Akira glanced back and locked eyes with Ryuji as he pressed the speed button again. A determined blaze ignited behind Ryuji’s hazelnut-colored eyes as he increased the speed once again. The two went back and forth until Ryuji nearly tripped, hastily stopping the machine before he went flying.

With a soft laugh, Akira stopped his own machine, digging through his bag and handing a spare water bottle to Ryuji as he took a seat next to him. He unscrews the cap to his own bottle and gulps some of it down; more for appearances than anything.

“Man, you’re not even outta breath! The hell’re ya made of?” He huffs, taking a generous drink of water himself.

“I walked my commute to school everyday back in my hometown. I’d run it to get some exercise sometimes.” He offered, realizing his mistake. It was stupid to try and show off but something about the blond triggered this competitive spirit within him that he didn’t even know he had.

“We could’ve really used somebody like you on the track team! Just imagine how--” Ryuji stopped himself and frowned. However, he quickly shook the troubled look from his face and stood up with a smile. “We should probably get going. I’m pretty sure this place closes soon.”

Akira didn’t miss the distant look in his eyes as he grabbed his bag and headed for the bathrooms to change. Akira also noticed a slight limp to Ryuji’s walk. Worried, Akira stopped him. “Are you okay?”

Ryuji almost looked surprised. He didn’t know if it was due to his worry for him or the fact that he noticed but Ryuji simply rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. 

“Yeah, man. My leg’s just a little messed up, so it hurts when I push myself too far. Don’t worry ‘bout it.” With that, Ryuji disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Akira to put the pieces together.

~~~

The next day was Sunday, giving Akira the time to mull over the new information. Not only that, he was running dangerously low on blood. He had some in reserve that he had brought with him and kept them in the Cafe Leblanc fridge. Not that he just left bags of human blood in the fridge for Sojiro to see. Akira cleverly disguised it as a vegetable juice in a thermos. The cafe owner asked about it once, to which Akira answered, “It’s for energy”. 

Today, he would need to rectify this issue by visiting the local blood donation center. He can feel himself shiver at the thought. He has heard horror stories from his mother about hungry vampires going there to get their usual rations and losing control after seeing so much blood in one place. However, he prides himself on having exceptional self control. It was going to be a quick visit and this was his only other option at this point.

He stood in front of the large, white building with baited breath. He told himself that it was going to be fine repeatedly in his head, trying to ignore his mother’s cruel warnings rooted in anxiety. His resolve solidified, he steps passed the automatic glass doors and into the clean and sterile looking lobby. There are seats to the left and a large reception desk to the right. A young woman with dark hair sat at the desk, eyes fixed on the computer screen and various papers littering the table in front of her. Akira walked silently up to the woman, clearing his throat to get her attention. She looked up before apologizing and tapping at the keyboard a few more times before turning to acknowledge him.

“Yes, what can I do for you? Are you here to make a donation?” She asked.

“I’m afraid not. I actually need this prescription filled but none of the local pharmacies are able to.” He explained, handing the signed prescription to the woman. 

She looked it over, scanning over the words multiple times. Her eyes narrowed before looking up at him again. “Regular blood transfusion? This disease usually affects people in their seventies.”

“It runs in my family…” The lie falling from his lips as easily as all the others.

“Unfortunately, I can’t fill this without a parent or guardian’s signature.” The woman sighed, handing the prescription back.

Akira could feel his body sag in defeat but gave the woman an understanding smile. He thanked her before leaving the building and taking the train back to the cafe. There was no way he could get Sojiro to sign off on it without the inevitable questions.

~~~

“Man, I can’t believe exams are next week…” Ryuji sighed, honest despair in his voice.

“You know, studying might help.” Akira teased, taking a drink from the black thermos he had brought with him. The liquid was cool and smooth on his throat. Even with just a drink he could feel it starving off the thirst. If only water was as satisfying.

The two of them sat in the courtyard, Akira’s textbooks open and dispersed between them. Ryuji never brought his textbooks to school but Akira was more than willing to share. The delinquent sat with his head rested on his folded arms sprawled on his side of the table. He sighed heavily and buried his face into his blazer.

“Exams are so boring. It’s not like any of its actually useful.” He groaned, looking up at the other teen. “I mean you look half dead. I’m sure you stay up late studyin’ like a good boy, right?”

Surprised, Akira tried to laugh it off. “Not all the time. I can enjoy some late night gaming just as much as the next guy.”

He knew the lack of blood would start to take a toll but he was showing symptoms far sooner than expected.

“Pfft. Yeah, right. You--”

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Sakamoto?”

The two teenages jumped, noticing three boys in Shujin’s gym uniform a few feet from them. The one who spoke stood a bit closer, dark eyes alight with rage. Akira turned to look to Ryuji for clarification. He almost shrank away from the other students, eyes wide with surprise and an emotion Akira couldn’t quite place.

“I-I don’t know wha--” Ryuji began before the other boy started yelling again.

“Bullshit! You think you can ruin the track team and keep going like nothing happened?” 

“I didn’t--”

“‘You didn’t’, what? Want to deal with practice anymore? We all had to deal with it! You just couldn't leave it alone, huh? I guess it really is father like son.”

Ryuji visibly tensed, fist clenched and his gaze cast downward. The wheels in Akira’s head started turning as the pieces of the puzzle slowly started to make sense.

“You’re lucky Kamoshida only broke your leg. I would’ve let the principal expel you after that.”

“He what?” Akira glared at the yelling runner, his voice deep with anger.

Ryuji pulled his eyes from the ground to look at Akira who was now standing from his seat. The members of the track team pulled away slightly out of newly realized fear. Akira could feel his jaw strain in pain as he gritted his teeth in an effort to control the fury of words that wanted to rip their way from inside his chest. He took a steady step toward them, his gaze sharp and unyielding. 

“What do you mean, he ‘only’ broke his leg?” He seethed.

The boys backed up and ran towards the gym, giving up all too quickly. Akira is about to follow them when he is stopped by hand on his shoulder. He turned to see a soft smile on Ryuji’s face.

“Don’t worry about them. Thanks, though.”

Akira looked back in the direction the runners went but almost regretfully took his seat once again. “Idiots…” He muttered under his breath, trying to refocus on his studies.

Ryuji shifted in his seat uncomfortably, looking between Akira and the ground, as if considering something. After a few moments of silence, Ryuji opened his mouth to speak. “They… I-I--”

Akira held up his hand and stopped him gently. “You don’t have to explain anything to me. It’s in the past but if you feel like telling me, you can decide that on your own.”

Ryuji stared back in utter shock, like the fact that he deserved decent courtesy was unheard of. He quickly snapped out of it and swung around to hide his face from view. When he turned back, he wore the brightest smile Akira had ever seen. 

“Thank you, ‘Kira.”


	3. That Fateful Afternoon

The next few weeks passed and the former track team had yet to face them again since their run-in with Akira. However, it had earned him a few new rumors. Ryuji apologized thinking it was his fault but Akira quickly told him otherwise. Today, Ryuji invited himself over to play video games and read manga. It being the first time the blond was coming to the cafe, Akira went to pick him up at the station and they chatted about test scores on the way. 

Once in front of the cafe, Akira opened the door and led the other boy inside. Ryuji gave him a strange look before entering. Inside, the strong smell of coffee and curry Akira has gotten used to filled the air. The blond surveyed the cafe, eyes wide with surprise.

“Welcome. Oh, who’s this?” Sojiro raised an eyebrow.

“He’s a friend from school. Ryuji, this is my guardian Sojiro Sakura and he runs this cafe.” Akira explained, readjusting his bag on his shoulder.

Ryuji figited nervously, unsure of his response. “Uh, nice to meet you, uh- Sir.”

“No need to be so nervous. Call me Boss. Why don't you two go upstairs before my regulars come in.” The older man chuckled.

Akira nodded, leading his blond friend up the stairs. He placed his bag down on the table and flopped onto the worn sofa.

"You... You live in a cafe attic?" Ryuji finally asked, taking the spot next to Akira, still looking about the room.

"Yeah, is it weird?" He chuckled, softly.

"Kinda, but it sorta suits ya. I think." He shrugged, pulling a full laugh from the curly haired teen.

Akira stood, grabbing the chair from the corner and pulled it up in front of the TV. Ryuji took the seat next to him as the other boy turned on the television and old game console. The teens skimmed through the few games Akira has procured before settling on one called 'Punch Ouch'.

Controller in hand Akira started the level strong, pulling off complicated combos. Seemingly out of nowhere, his head started to feel as if it was swimming in honey. His vision started to blur and he blinked trying to refocus. However, his head spun dizzily, forcing him to stop playing. Ryuji looked over and he could vaguely make out the blond’s voice. It sounded like it was being filtered through cotton and Akira’s head ached with pain.

He shook his head a bit, trying to get a grip on his senses but his vision was blurred and dizzying as his eyes opened. His head racked with pain as he forced his eyes closed once again. A horrible ringing permeated through his ears and he could feel the world shifting under his feet. Akira reached up to his head, trying to find something solid in his disorientated state when he felt a body next to him. In his muddled thoughts, he vaguely recalled Ryuji being in the room with him. He tried to collect himself but everything seemed to shift and his focus uncertain. Any thoughts seemed to just slip from him as he tried to make sense of it all.

He felt his hand reach out and grip something. It felt like fabric and a welcoming warmth emanated from it. Drawn by the warmth, Akira leaned into a comforting embrace, the same warmth now against his right side. Whatever was holding him up didn’t waver as he let his ridged, shaking body relax in an effort to let whatever this was pass. Without his sight or hearing to guide him, he caught an intoxicating scent. It taunted him, seeming to be so close yet Akira couldn’t determine its origin. It was sweet with a spicy tang that had the bespectacled boy’s mouth watering. Quickly, Akira forced his eyes to snap back open, realizing just what this smell had to be. 

Blood.

He found himself practically hanging from a certain blond’s neck, face buried against the crook of his neck. Ryuji held extremely still, one hand holding onto Akira’s bicep and the other still propping himself up in his seat with almost all of the other boy’s weight against him. Akira rushed to pull away, stumbling in the stool and holding his hands up in embarrassment. Ryuji starred back in surprise, the hand that was holding onto Akira, reached up to his own neck where the curly haired teen was nestled not moments before. There, thankfully, didn’t look to be any sort of mark or bite. Akira brought his hand up to cover his mouth, eyes wide and ashamed of the events that had taken place. Was he really so weak to his vampiric nature that as soon as they were alone, he lost control? How could he do that to Ryuji? 

“Are ya okay?” The blond questioned, a bit hesitant with a cocked eyebrow.

Still holding a hand over his mouth, Akira stood and ran down the cafe stairs and out the door. He heard a few voices behind him - one of which he recognized to be Sojiro - as he ignored them and continued running through the twisting residential backstreets. Hes lungs tightened in protest but he continued running as far as he could from the dangerously kind blond boy with eyes that could make him melt.

Akira shook the racing thoughts from his head, darting down an alleyway for someplace to stop and breathe. He let himself lean against the cold grey wall, out of breath and with no idea how far he’d ran. He pressed the palms of his hands against his eyes roughly, trying to pull himself out of his own head and back to reality. In all the years he’d lived, he’d never lost control like that. While this might have been the first time he’d gone quite this long without any blood, he thought he’d be able to control the urges more readily. Hell, he hadn’t even noticed until it was already almost too late. Was this the end of his friendship with the only one he’d gotten close to in how long?

“I thought you were sick today!” An accusatory shout caught Akira’s attention from further down the alley.

He quietly stepped closer to peek around the corner to see who it was. A large man with dark wavy hair towered over a young blond girl in ponytails that wore a Shujin Academy uniform. She cowered, stuttering out some excuses that Akira couldn’t quite make out. He did, however, see the man he now recognized to be Suguru Kamoshida glare turn to a horrible snarl.

“Where do you get off treating me like some side bitch?” He bit back at the girl, causing her to flinch.

His large form blocked most of Akira’s view of the girl but he could tell she was incredibly uncomfortable. He seemed to purposeful block her only escape, glaring her down with cruel eyes that should have belonged to some sort of wild animal. Unable to walk away from such a situation, Akira stalked forward, vision blurring slightly. He reached up and gripped the teacher’s shoulder, pulling him away from the girl with strength that didn’t fit his teenage physique. He stepped in between the two of them, facing the man while the girl behind him stood shell shocked. 

“Who the hell are you?” Kamoshida hissed, his angry glare falling on the boy before him.

“Why don’t you head home. Don’t worry, he won’t follow you.” Akira's voice sounded surprisingly calm as he instructed the blond student behind him.

She nodded, grabbing her school bag from the concrete next to her and ducked out of the alley in a hurry that was to be expected after such an event. The gym teacher growled and his upper lip twitched in anger. Akira, senses sharper then they’d been in a long time, glared back with just as much - if not more - intensity. He could feel his entire body tingle with energy and his focus narrowed on the many. He felt the adrenaline rush through his veins as his body prepared to hunt the man like prey.

Something about the teenager’s glare must have scared the other man because his bravado quickly diminished, a look of fear flashed across his features. Akira watched the man go over his options in his head before settling on the obvious choice of running. All too quickly, Akira’s eyes flashed with amusement as the man quickly turned to run and he caught Kamoshia’s wrist. Before the teacher could yell out and cause a scene, Akira kicked the man to the ground and snapped his neck with inhumane speed. Kamashida, in all his pride, lay sprawled on the hard ground with a look of horror permanently etched on his face.

Before he has a chance to register what he was doing, Akira knelt next to the body, bringing the wrist to his mouth. He felt his fangs break the the skin as a rush of flowing crimson wet his tongue. As soon as it did, he found himself unable to pull away, sucking the blood from the wound to finally satisfy the burning thirst in his throat. It must have been a few minutes of drinking before he feels his head clear and the slightly unpleasant taste of the blood of the human he had just killed forces him back to his senses. Not that he expected the bastard to taste very good, Akira still dropped the limp wrist he was holding and scooted away from the body.

He’d never killed anyone before. Of course he had considered it on occasion as vampires are told drinking directly from a human is more satisfying, but the random appearance of a corpse was always enough of a reason to deter him. This was powered entirely by instinct and he couldn’t bring himself to look at the man's face. Millions of regrets swarmed his head as he brought his hands up to his face. There was still some blood smeared against his bottom lip that he wiped away with his hand.

His mother’s words and stories of her own kills found their way to the forefront, instructing him to get rid of the body and clean up the evidence. He steeled himself, pushing past the unending regret as he gathered the stiff body together to dispose of.


End file.
